Glossary Of Basic Cooking Terms
English - (F - N)
from Italian Traditional Food

Glossary of cooking terms page 2 - (F - N)
for Italian Traditional Food

Here is page 2 of the glossary of basic cooking terms from Italian Traditional Food to help you find your way around the mysteries of cooking. For your convenience the glossary of basic cooking terms has been listed alphabetically. By understanding some of the glossary of basic cooking terms you will be able to better follow individual recipes.

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Glossary of English basic cooking terms - (F - N)

F

Fines herbes: Chopped parsley, or mixed herbs; usually parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives.

Flamber: To add flavour by pouring warmed spirits/brandy/sherry over food in pan, igniting and continuing to cook.

Fondue: Dish usually made with Gruyere/Emmenthal cheese, white wine and/or kirsch, served at the table from flameproof casserole over a burner. Using fondue forks, cubes of bread are dipped in.

Fondue bourguignonne: Raw fillet steak cubes which are dipped into casserole of smoking hot oil, then into a selection of spiced sauces in separate dishes.

Fool: Fruir puree mixed with whipped cream.

Forcemeat: Savourary ingredients, eg. minced veal/pork, mixed with breadcrumbs or rice, vegetables, chestnuts, spices, and often bound together with eggs, milk or sauce. Used to flavour meat/poultry/fish; stuffed into cavaties or between portions, or can be baked/fried separately and served with main dish.

Fricadelles: Minced raw/cooked meat shaped into small balls and fried.

Fricassee: Reheated cooked chicken in white sauce. Also stew of white meat/poultry/fish/vegetables. Usually served with a white or veloute sauce.

Fritter: Cooked meat/vegetables/raw fruit dipped into batter and then fried in deep fat.

Fry: To cook steaks/chops over high heat in fat/oil barely covering base of heavy frying pan.

Fumet: Well reduced fish stock. Also essense of fish/meat/game.

G

Garnish: To decorate to choice.

Gelatine: Dissolved in hot water, sets jellies/aspic/creams.

Glace: A sugar icing for cakes, bicuits, crystallised fruits.

Glaze: To make shiny with egg, water and sugar, or milk. Also reduced bone stock or stock and gelatine glaze, used to coat cold meats.

Goulash: Highly seasoned stew made with onions and paprika.

Gratin: To cook dish covered in breadcrumbs, butter, sauce, grated cheese in oven.

Grill: To cook meat/fish by direct heat, under electric or gas grill.

H

Homegenised: Emulsified liquid, eg. homogenised milk ( with fat particles broken up and dispersed). Is more digestible then ordinary milk and produces different texture in cooking.

I

Infuse: To steep in liquid in warm place to draw flavour into the liquid.

J

Junket: Milk set to a curd with rennet.

K

Knead: To work a dough with hands to required elasticity; especially important in bread making.

L

Lard: Rendered pork fat for frying, or used as shortening.

Lardons: Small trips of fat used to give extra fat to cuts of meat that have little or none of their own to protect them from drying out during cooking.

Liaison: Mixture for thickening/binding sauce/gravy/soup, eg. egg roux, egg yolks, cream, kneaded butter.

M

Macedoine: A mixture of diced or sliced cooked or raw vegetables/fruit, served hot or cold.

Macerate: To soak/infuse, mostly fruit in liqueur/syrup.

Marinate: To soak raw meat/game/fish in cooked or raw spiced liquid (marinade) of wine, oil, herbs and vegetables for hours/days before cooking.

Marmelade: Fruit stewed and reduced until a thick, almost solid puree.

Mirepoix: Basic preparation for flavouring braises and sauces. Diced vegetables, sweated (cooked gently for a few minutes in butter), to draw out flavour. Diced ham or bacon and bayleaf sometimes included.

Monosodium glutamate: Additive used to intensify most food flavours.

Mousse: Sweet: smooth mixture, airy but rich, made from eggs, sugar, cream, with flavourings, eg. coffee/chocolate or fruit. Savoury: made from salmon, lobster, veal, chicken, usually served chilled. Gelatine may be used to set.

N

Noisette: Small nut of rolled meat without the bone. Also flavoured with hazelnuts.

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